


undercover

by civillove



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:48:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23190401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/civillove/pseuds/civillove
Summary: Anon request: please post something Brightwell, episode 16 scarred me with malcolm and eve :/ potentially something with jealous malcolm pre-relationship??? if thats not too specific? i love your writing sm gal ♥️
Relationships: Malcolm Bright/Dani Powell
Comments: 23
Kudos: 119





	undercover

**Author's Note:**

> this is probably more plot than you wanted anon, sorry not sorry.
> 
> Why focus on Eve in 1x16 when you could focus on undercover!brightwell? This could probably take place after 1x15, completely ignoring 1x16 for now.

Dani makes a soft noise, inching out of Malcolm’s touch and backing up into the desk in their shared hotel room. “Your hands are cold.”

He gives her a look, amusement swimming in her brown eyes when his tongue clicks against the roof of his mouth, “Please, you’re one to talk.” He closes the distance even though she has her arms over her chest. “You and your ice cube fingers.”

She pouts, just slightly, shaking her head, “I’m serious, warm up your hands if you want to put this wire on.”

Bright rolls his eyes but she can tell it’s good natured because the corners of his mouth are twitching as he hands her the mic and cups his hands together. He brings them up to his lips and blows into them, reminding her of what it’s like in the winter and the wind whips around a downtown Manhattan building.

She feels a shiver course down her spine despite the fact that the temperature is pleasant in the room, nervous energy starting to poke and prod at her nerve endings. Despite her history with narcotics, Dani enjoys going undercover. Especially for cases that don’t require anything long term or too out of her comfort zone.

Doing this with Bright won’t be difficult; their killer is going after married couples that seem perfect on the outside but are really struggling with one another behind closed doors. The special weekend getaway event for people celebrating anniversaries or engagements moves from hotel to hotel, which just tells them that it has to be someone working on staff coming into the venue. Like a caterer, waiter or bartender.

They should be able to draw the perp out with a few well-placed demonstrations and, well, in a dress like the one Dani has on…she’s going to be hard to miss.

Bright holds his hands out, “Satisfied?”

Dani hums and squeezes the tips of his fingers with her own before she nods. “Minimally.”

He takes the wire back and pauses, his eyes brushing over the black velvet dress, “You’re going to have to…uh,”

Her eyes graze over his, the nervous hesitation to his tone; the sound, for some reason, reaching directly into her chest and _tugging._ He cleans up nicely; in a black-on-black suit, his pocket square velvet to match her dress. It makes his eyes _incredibly_ blue, like an ocean chasm that she’s standing directly on the edge at, toes slipping over.

She clears her throat and nods softly, turning so that he can undo the buttons. Her dress is fashioned like a halter with a very low back, so she’s going to have to be strategic about where she places the wire. His fingers brush her hair aside and easily unclasps the fabric and she holds the dress in place so that it doesn’t completely expose her chest as she turns around.

Dani takes a moment to think about where the mic should sit before she peels the fabric down, her fingers brushing the right side of her upper chest, directly under her collarbone. “What about here?”

“What?” Bright blinks, then quickly. “Oh right, yeah that’s…good. Fine.”

She smiles a little, licking her lips as he steps forward and gently presses the mic to her skin before taping it over. She tugs the wire a little to make sure it stays in place before she takes the radio from him. Luckily, the device is small and her dress is slightly ruffled at the back. The black velvet should hide it easily and she fixes the front so that the mic is hidden and meets eyes with Malcolm again.

He nods his head softly and reaches to clasp her dress, except the difference this time is that Dani does not turn around and he doesn’t force her to. His forearms wrap around her, nearly resting on her shoulders as he works the buttons. Bright’s scent nearly encompasses her like a warm blanket; hints of expensive cedar, laundry detergent and something distinctly his skin. He’s not that much taller than her because she doesn’t have her heels on yet and if she’d tilt her chin up, just a little—

“All turned on now?” JT asks in both of their ear sets, making them jump apart.

Luckily her dress is fastened and Dani lets out a short breath, trying to ignore the blush that’s forcing its way down her neck and cheekbones. “Yeah, wire is all set.”

Malcolm clears his throat, pulling at the corners of his suit jacket to give his hands something to do so he doesn’t have to look at her. Dani turns to slip her heels on and wanders towards a mirror in the bathroom to paint her lips in scarlet red.

When she steps back out, she smooths her hands down her dress, doing a final mental check to make sure they have everything before they head downstairs. Malcolm’s eyes are on her, she can feel him even though she hasn’t met his gaze yet; always digging, trying to slip under the material of her clothes, between her skin, see how she works and find words hidden there. Things that she might purposefully keep from everyone.

She knows it’s mostly out of habit, that he can’t help it and it’s what makes him such a good profiler…but sometimes she wishes he’d just _ask_ her what he wants to know instead of trying to read it off her micro-expressions.

“Ready to go?” She asks, breaking his concentration.

He straightens his back a little as he approaches her, an easy smile on his face as he offers her his elbow so she can loop her own through. “Only if you are, Mrs. Campion.” Dani can’t stop the soft laugh from bubbling up out of her chest, holding onto him as they walk out of their hotel room.

They make their way towards the elevator, Bright’s hand slipping on top of hers easily as it rests on his arm, turning his eyes back on her. They graze over her dress, dragging along the velvet like his hands might want to, drinking in how she looks.

She knows she doesn’t often dress up and that they’re supposed to be married, but _still,_ “What?” Dani asks after a moment as the elevator dings on their floor.

He opens and closes his mouth, words stuck on his tongue and slipping back underneath it. Whatever he says is not what he intended, “Where are you hiding your gun?”

She grins at him, leaning purposely close as they walk into the elevator, “Guess.”

And the doors close to take them to the lobby.

\--

The lobby is nearly filled to the brim with couples, soft jazz music playing from a live band near the bar and a poker game being held near a raffle table towards the couches. She takes a look around, tries to absorb as much as possible in terms of who’s there, what looks out of place, anything that might peek her interest and lead them to their killer—but there’s a lot of sensory overload to work through.

For the most part, everyone is enjoying their time and Dani tries to squash down the anxious waves crashing into her ribcage that the perp might turn his attention on another couple—that it won’t matter that they’re here, that they’ll somehow be too late.

Bright squeezes the hand on his forearm, grabbing her attention as she turns to see a waiter approaching them with champagne. She shakes her head politely and he heads towards other people waiting for a drink.

“Club soda?” Malcolm asks, motioning his head towards the bar. “I don’t think Earl Grey will sell our marriage story in this setting.”

She smiles gently and nods, surprised just a little by the thoughtful offer. For one, they’re working, but another he remembers that she doesn’t drink alcohol. He leaves her for a few moments, walking towards the bar to order and Dani settles with letting out a slow breath and watching people around her.

She attempts to take note on the waiters and caterers, touching her earpiece ever so gently as she pretends to play with a strand of hair, “There’s a lot of people here.”

JT shifts in her ear, clicking noises following that sounds like a computer. “Can you guys give me any information to narrow down the pool? We at least have a list of people working there tonight.”

“Male, late twenties. You’re going to need to look for someone who has a rap sheet.” Malcolm says suddenly and Dani turns just a little so she can see him at the bar. He’s leaning against the edge, looking completely relaxed, the long lines of his body only demonstrated further by the suit he has on.

She clears her throat, absently taking a few steps in his direction. “Because of the female bodies?” She guesses.

Malcolm hums a little, his voice grim as he speaks again, “Exactly. The female victims were…overkill. We’re looking for someone who has a violent history with women and has gotten away with it.”

Dani finds herself shaking a little, goosebumps appearing over her arms as she looks to the crowd again, scanning for the person they’re looking for as if their hands are drenched in blood. As if it’d be easy to see.

Bright appears at her side again with her club soda, his gaze picking up on her uneasiness instantly but going for a more practical approach, “You want my jacket?”

She shakes her head, smiling gently as she takes her drink. “Just a draft, I think. I’m fine.” She takes a long sip of her club soda, the lime biting the back of her throat.

JT crackles to life again on their earpieces, another clicking sound following, “Alright, two waiters fit our bill. Jacob Peters, two counts attempted rape and Van Marshall, three counts of battery and assault with an ex-girlfriend.”

Dani lets out a slow breath through her teeth, “Anything distinguishing to set them apart?”

“Van has a tattoo of a bird on his wrist, Jacob has red hair. You want me to come in?”

“No,” She says quickly and sets her drink down on a nearby table. “We don’t want to spook them. Besides, I got a date. Who you bringing in? Gil?”

JT lets out a short bark of a laugh but doesn’t add any other commentary, Bright biting his lower lip as a smile threatens to take up his face. He places a hand on her lower back and his fingers feel like electric currents on her exposed skin but she tries to focus on the music instead. Another jazz piece swells into existence, her head turning a little in interest.

She’s always loved jazz, forties kind of stuff, big band. There’s something about contemporary jazz that rubs her the wrong way, the notes aren’t as deep—it doesn’t feel like the music is trying to live under her skin, become a part of her.

“Do you want to dance?”

Dani’s eyes widen a little and she looks at Bright; were her expressions that obvious? “Oh uh, no. We need to concentrate and I have two left feet.”

“I somehow doubt that.” Malcolm _tsks_ and takes her hand to tug her towards the small dance floor in front of the band even though she puts the breaks on, “I can tell you want to.”

“What have I told you about doing that?” She tries to scold but her voice isn’t harsh enough to really imply being annoyed.

Besides, Bright ends up being able to read her despite her not wanting it. “I didn’t know you were so fond of jazz.” He tilts his head towards the music, “Duke Ellington?”

He draws his lower lip into his mouth, eyes narrowing just slightly like he’s about to deliver a profile—he sees something on her face, hidden words and meaning. “Someone you’re close with in your family loved it. Maybe listened to it a lot when you were younger.”

She swallows and squeezes his hand, hard enough to stop him in his tracks. Dani has to bite her tongue and say his alias because they’re undercover and she has to remember that, “ _Brendon.”_

Something in his gaze flicks like a switch when he realizes that he’s toeing a line he has no business going near and dips his head a little sheepishly, some of his hair slipping free from the gel and dipping over his forehead.

He clears his throat, “Sorry.”

Dani shakes her head, eyes slipping closed for a moment as she gathers composure and squeezes his hand again just because she can. It’s gentler this time, Bright taking a step towards her and their fingers move on their own volition until their laced together.

“It’s Django.” She looks up at him, to which he blinks and a question forms on his lips that he doesn’t say. Dani untangles their fingers and puts her hands on his chest, backing him up onto the dance floor. “Django Reinhardt? Not Duke Ellington.”

Malcolm’s eyes brighten, amusement swimming as his hands fall to her wrists, “Ah.”

Piano swells into a low horn, Dani slipping closer to him so he can wrap an arm around her waist and draw her close. His one hand slides into her own, twirling her purposefully so she laughs and keeps holding it after she returns to his chest to rock back and forth like a slow wave.

She knows this tune like the back of her hand, strings in a guitar being plucked, the tune caught somewhere between an upbeat jazz and something slow enough to sway. Bright squeezes her hand, his thumb working over her knuckles, his breath warm against her neck as he holds her close.

The old tune, specifically the horn, reminds her so much of her grandfather—of her grandparents dancing the jitterbug in her living room. She used to watch them for hours on their couch, clapping, the music slipping over her body and creating a second skin. Bright is watching her, his eyes grazing over her face, picking up on the memory like he she’s speaking directly to him.

He doesn’t try to uncover it though, lets her hold it close to her chest as they dance, his body warm and solid against her own.

When the song starts to move towards an end, he spins her again. “Did you know that despite a hand injury Reinhardt still managed to play? Musical mastery using only his left index and middle fingers.”

She smiles and shakes her head, biting the tip of her tongue for a moment because, “How come you didn’t even know this was Django in the first place but you know _that?”_

“I’m full of semi-useless information.” Bright mumbles and JT snorts in their ears, only to confirm that if nothing else.

Dani curls her hair around her ear, motioning towards the bar. “Another drink?”

His hand finds her side, squeezing her hip once before disappearing towards the bar to get her another club soda. She smooths her hands down her dress and wanders off the floor as another piece of jazz comes on that she thinks might be Benny Goodman but she’s not sure.

“Lost your husband?”

The voice digs under her skin instantly as she turns to see a waiter with hors d'oeuvres. He’s taller than Bright, lean, handsome and young; ticking some of the boxes for the profile that they put together. From the names she recalls JT giving her, this has to be Van. She clears her throat and shifts on her feet, her eyes trying to focus in on the man’s arms—she can’t see any tattoos yet.

“Just for a moment, he went to get me a drink.”

He hums and shifts the tray that he has in his hands, glancing towards the bar. Dani follows the look, Malcolm not yet noticing that they’re talking, though she knows he can hear them with the mic.

“I was watching you dance,” He admits, snapping her attention back to him, “The way you move is,” His eyes wash over her and she digs her heels into the ground. It feels like his gaze is trying to slip in-between the fabric of her clothes, “Almost downright sinful in that dress.”

She allows him to take a step closer to her, in her space, his fingers touching the velvet fabric near her neck.

“Hold your ground, Powell.” JT says in her ear, as if he can picture what’s happening. As if he can see her.

Suddenly Malcolm appears at her side and breaks through the tension like a sledgehammer. He puts the drink he was getting her down, purposely noisy, on the appetizer tray. Van takes a step back, the move nearly knocking the tray off balance in his hand.

“You mind telling me why you’re standing so close to my wife?”

He straightens his shoulders and Dani can see the scene start to play out in front of her, wondering how best to approach this. She clears her throat and puts her hand on Bright’s chest, “Brandon, this isn’t a big deal.”

His blue eyes snap to hers and she’s surprised by what she sees there, as if the shade is covered with a layer of ice. He’s… _angry;_ Dani didn’t realize how good Malcolm would be undercover and makes a mental note to mention it to Gil later.

“I’d say it is.” He says evenly, turning his attention back on Van.

The waiter glances around himself, taking a step back, not wanting to make a scene. Not here. He thrives on being unnoticed, on blending in, and he can’t do that if he’s arguing with someone in the middle of this event.

“I misread the situation.”

Bright scoffs, his arm slipping around Dani’s waist. “I’d say so.”

He nods his head gently, eyes flickering to her for a moment. “I’m sorry.”

“You should be.” Malcolm says quickly, his tone darkening by the moment. His eyes dig into Van’s, forcing him back a few steps again until he disappears through the crowd.

Dani lets out a short breath, moving to stand in front of Malcolm. It takes him a few moments to unwind, for the tension to leave his shoulders and for the muscle to relax in his jaw. She places a hand on his wrist, squeezing, her thumb running over his pulse—only to feel how quickened it is.

In this very moment, Bright’s emotions are exposed to her, raw, easy to pick up on. She bites her tongue on commenting because the instant his gaze meets her own, the expression is gone as if it was never there in the first place. She tears a page out of his book and keeps his reaction, filing it away for later.

“Nicely done,” She mumbles. “But I think…” Dani trails off a moment, trying to pull her thoughts together for next moves. “Does it fit the profile for him to insert himself like that?”

Bright lets out a slow breath, looking down at her hands. He busies his own, a slight tremble to his fingers as he plays with a ring on her finger, “He’s overly confident, it’s not surprising.”

She hums and looks out at the crowd but can’t quite spot him, “He seemed pretty interested in me for a man who hates women.”

A dry laugh leaves Malcolm’s throat, his thumb working over her wrist absently. He finds her gaze and holds it for a moment, his words very patient as if he needs to make sure she hears him, “Women are nothing but a means to an end for him. He either had a bad relationship where a woman demeaned him or he’s compensating for the fact that he’s never had a strong female presence in his life. Either way, he’s dangerous. Don’t get any ideas.”

She narrows her eyes a little, “You’re really going to hate this plan I’m coming up with then.”

\--

The strategy is simple and Bright does indeed hate it, but Van isn’t going to approach her on his own again unless he has a reason to. And they’re giving him just that.

Bright sighs as they walk towards a more secluded part of the lobby near the elevators, “So let me get this straight. You want to pick a fight with me?”

She shrugs her shoulder, “Am I the profiler here? Will that work?”

His eyes tell her what she wants to hear immediately even though his mouth hesitates on saying the words, “I don’t like it.”

“I’ll try not to hit you,” She admits. “We’ll just see how the flow of the argument goes.”

“Thanks,” He says dryly but there’s a hint of amusement wrapped around his syllables.

Dani glances over Malcolm’s shoulder, seeing Van starting to make his way through the crowd again with a drink tray. “This is our best option. He feeds off of couples who appear perfect but they’re not.”

“I think we’re pretty great together,” He says after a moment, a teasing smile pulling at the edges of his mouth. “Other than you stepping on my feet when we danced.”

“I tried to warn you.” She smiles despite herself and rolls her eyes, JT making a groaning noise through their earpieces. Dani straightens her posture, mentally priming herself to slip into a conversation that has her nerve endings buzzing.

She doesn’t personally want to attract Van or fake an argument with Bright, but sometimes that’s the job whether she likes it or not. Malcolm seems to steel himself too, preparing to take this where it needs to go in order to bag their perp.

“Is he looking this way?”

Dani hums in confirmation as Van’s eyes brush them over, keen interest still peaked despite their last interaction. This should pull him right in like a fish on a hook. And just like that, something changes on Malcolm’s face, his expression becomes hard and eyes a deep blue like the darkest parts of the ocean.

He takes a step closer to her, infringing on her personal space, and despite the fact that they’re almost the same height—the way he’s looking at her makes him feel taller. “You just can’t help yourself, can you? I leave you alone for two minutes and you flirt with whatever guy you can talk to.”

Dani forces her defenses down because usually, as a woman and a cop, she gets right back into people’s faces if she needs to. She doesn’t let others make her feel insignificant just because they think they can…but that’s not who she is tonight. She allows the words to berate her, to dig into her pores and _hurt._

“I wasn’t flirting with him. He was flirting with _me.”_

There’s a smirk on Bright’s face that’s nasty, “Oh right, I forgot you like to make excuses. Just like the other three times I caught you with other men.”

Her shoulders draw together slightly, making her feel smaller. Van’s working his way closer to them through the crowd, still doing his job but attempting to listen their conversation as well.

Dani attempts to switch gears, “Maybe I wouldn’t need to find attention elsewhere if you were a better husband.”

Bright moves forward again, making her step back until she bumps into a nearby table. He doesn’t stop, his arms creating a cage so he can lean over her body. Her skin is buzzing with his touch, the weight of him and she has to keep repeating to herself that this is all a ploy, that this isn’t like him—that she doesn’t somewhat enjoy his proximity despite the words coming out of his mouth.

“Don’t act like this is all on me; you feel a wedge between us? That’s because your daddy issues keep putting it there.”

This isn’t real but she knows that Malcolm has somehow dug that up from their past conversations and is weaving it in-between his words, mixing truth with lies. This is something she knows he struggles with, not knowing when to stop profiling, but small moments about her father was something she told him in confidence. It wasn’t to be used against her and he _knows_ how she has trouble trusting people. It hits a nerve so quickly and heatedly that her hand twitches before she reaches up and _smacks_ him across his face.

Bright takes a step back as his hand touches his cheek, his eyes a little wide as he puts two and two together, realizing he’s said something that he shouldn’t. Dani glares at him, emotion spilling over the edge of her acting and stalks off in the direction of the bathrooms.

At this rate, she just hopes that Van follows and their conversation wasn’t for nothing.

\--

Dani lets out a calm breath, waiting, trying not to pace. JT is quiet in her ear, letting her concentrate even though the palm of her hand stings every so often and draws her attention back to where she left Bright. Hitting him was probably unnecessary, even though she has to admit that it made her feel a little better.

She’s not angry with him, not really, but there’s a seedling of raw _hurt_ that’s working its way up from her stomach and into her chest. It sprouts like ivy, the stems latching onto her veins and burrowing, refusing to let go.

She shakes it off the best she can and turns to look down the hall—when a flash of burnt orange floods into her vision and someone hits her, hard, right across her face. Dani goes down, her hands bracing herself for the most part, but she barely has a chance to look up before the same person kicks her.

The wind is knocked right out of her and she takes in a struggled gasp into her lungs, JT yelling over the com, trying to ask her questions but she can’t speak. She looks up quickly—they’d been watching the wrong guy all night.

Jacob Peters towers over her, reaching for her and hauling her up off the ground. She barely gets the gun out of the holster around her inner thigh and he smacks it out of her grip. Dani uses the momentum against him and _pushes,_ despite her gun clattering to the ground. She slams her heel down into his foot and gets a good punch in that at least manages to surprise him. But it does little to deter him, the man twice the size of her,

“Bright—” Is all she gets out before Jacob wraps his hand around her throat, nearly lifting her off the ground.

Dani struggles, trying to kick her legs to force them apart. He’s squeezing her hard, her eyes beginning to pinprick with black dots. _Don’t pass out_ she tells herself, over and over, slamming her hands against Jacob’s forearms, trying to dig her nails into his face—anything so that he lets her go.

There’s a gunshot that sings out, louder than the ringing in her ears and he drops her. Dani bends at the waist, coughing in such a way that it feels like she might not be able to stop. She drags oxygen into her lungs, shaking, Malcolm rushing over and crouching down, trying to lift her chin so that she’s looking at him.

He’s speaking but she can’t quite hear him, her head pounding and throat burning. He’s got a gun in his hands.

He picked up her gun and used it.

JT and other police swim into the scene as Bright puts a hand on her back and she manages to get her breathing under control. She looks up at him, JT taking the gun from Bright and checking to make sure Jacob isn’t dead.

“Your aim ain’t the best, cowboy.” JT says, his voice working its way against her eardrums as the buzzing stops.

“I wasn’t concerned about my aim.” Malcolm says, his gaze falling on her again. “Are you okay?”

She nods and touches her throat. “I’m fine,” She chokes out, causing a coughing fit again. She can feel his hand move up and down her spine, trying to soothe her.

“Gil called an ambulance once he heard the gunshot,” JT says, “Make sure she’s checked out.”

“I’m right _here.”_ She insists, not liking being fussed over but even more annoyed that he’s talking about her like she can’t hear.

“I know and try and tell me different than you’ll insist you don’t need to be seen by a doctor.”

Dani rolls her eyes but says nothing, a soft smile beginning to pull at Malcolm’s mouth. “Come on,” He says gently and helps her off the floor, allowing her to lean against him as they make their way up to the hotel room to change.

\--

Bright makes her a cup of tea in their shared room; it tastes old and she doesn’t have enough sugar but it’s the thought that counts. The extra hot water helps her throat feel better as she changes in the bathroom. She wipes the makeup off her face, a bruise beginning to form under the red marks on her cheekbone and neck.

She tilts her head back a little and sighs, allowing her eyes to close before a knock at the door disrupts her thinking. Dani opens up the door, Malcolm with his clothes changed into the ones he showed up in, a pair of black jeans and a cream-colored sweater that’s rolled up to his elbows.

“I found some Advil too, figured it wouldn’t hurt.”

She swallows and nods in thanks, taking the pills into her palm and quickly swallowing them with a sip of tea. She’s in more comfortable clothes as well, a pair of jeans with a maroon t-shirt that somehow feels too thin. She wishes she would have brought a sweater herself to put on; she aches for the comfort of something warmer.

Bright’s eyes are on her, zeroing in on where she’s hurt. His hands are trembling by his sides, fingers drawn up into the palms of his hands like he wants to touch her but doesn’t. She shakes her head and puts her dress back in the bagged hanger she brought it on, zipping it up.

“Looks worse than it is.” She tries to tell him, her voice slightly resembling the sound of sandpaper.

Bright touches her then, gently reaches out and puts a hand on her shoulder so she stops moving. He tilts her chin with his thumb, trying to get a better look at the finger-shaped marks beginning to splotch their way onto her skin.

“Looks pretty painful.” He says after a moment and sighs, fingers touching her jawline to look at her cheekbone too. “I got there as fast as I could.”

Dani squeezes his wrist and he drops his hand, “I know. It’s okay. I’ve been through worse, tougher than I look.”

There’s a thought passing over his face, words that he’s chewing on because he doesn’t know how to say them. She knows exactly what it’s about before he says it, “Dani,” He pauses, “What I said about your father,” She shakes her head, intent on interrupting him but he won’t let her, “I shouldn’t’ve. I’m sorry.”

She lets out a long sigh and nods, picking up the cup of tea that she put down next to her makeup bag on the sink. “I know.”

He rocks back on the balls of his feet, “When I promised I was going to do better, this isn’t what I meant.”

Dani smiles a little, chewing on the inside of her cheek before clearing her throat. She almost instantly regrets that, however, a wince working its way onto her face, “Heat of the moment,” She waves him off, “Who knew you were such a great actor.”

His face pinches just a little, “Well, I double majored at Harvard…theater. Did I never tell you that?” She narrows her eyes, can’t quite tell if he’s messing with her or not. “You should see me re-enact _Pirates of Penzance.”_

Oh, he’s _got_ to be joking, a soft laugh tumbling out of her sore throat after she takes another sip of tea. Mischief bubbles in her chest as she remembers his behavior earlier in the night, a piece of him she’s tucked away to comment on later.

Now seems like the perfect time.

“I didn’t realize your eyes were green.”

“I don’t—” He says quickly but then picks up on her intentions rather easily and he narrows his gaze at her, “Are you teasing me right now?”

She smiles against the rim of her cup, “A little.”

He nods slowly, running a hand through his hair, “Guess I deserve that after acting like a—”

“Jerk?” She supplies, trying to be helpful. Before he can speak, she suggests something else, “Jealous?”

“We can go two for two.” He agrees, shaking his head in an almost embarrassed fashion that makes her laugh again. Dani rubs her throat gently, the Advil helping a little with the pain even though her voice still sounds like a frog croaking.

“I was acting!” He insists, “It was…it was an act. We were undercover and it seemed like the best direction to go. He was clearly trying to get under your skin and you were—”

“Letting him assume I was weak?”

“Yes. _No.”_ He backtracks quickly, almost a little too loud and she’s smiling again at him stumbling over himself. He shakes his head, “You weren’t supposed to be acting like a cop so I was just trying to help.”

“I know,” Dani stops him before he can self-combust, putting a hand on his arm. “It all worked out anyways.”

Malcolm nods slowly, his eyes once again settling on her like a cool blanket. He’s staring at her bruises even though he’s trying not to. He swallows and hesitates on something he wants to say and she gives him a moment to decide whether he wants to. She sets her tea down, gathering the rest of her stuff so they can leave and she can get the doctor check over with.

“I’m glad you’re okay.” He finally says.

Dani bites her lower lip, a soft smile, “Told you, tougher than I look.”

Bright hums and before he leaves the bathroom, he brushes a thumb over her bruised cheekbone and tucks a few strands of hair behind her ear. She feels his touch long after it’s gone.

\--

Thanks so much for reading! The song that Malcolm and Dani danced to is called [‘Stardust’ by Django Reinhardt.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfoOE2YCFl4) I’m always taking requests or just really ready to talk about Brightwell at blainesebastian.tumblr.com.


End file.
